How to Shop for a Contractor in the Roofer Denver Market

Enlightened perspective on how to shop for a contractor in the roofer Denver market

This is part three of a four part series on How to Choose a Roofer. In my prior post I shared ideas on how to choose a roofer. In this post I’m sharing my thoughts on some ideas that are commonly seen or heard in the media, but may be misleading. Take a look for yourself, and you decide. They may be misleading if there is an ulterior motive beyond the genuine protection and provision of the consumer. I’m not saying that an enterprising business utilizing certain methods of marketing mediums is wrong. I’m only saying it would behoove a property owner to be a student of the marketing copy to determine between fact and fiction.

 

 

 

 

I Consider the Following Statements to be Misleading

 

• Never trust a roofer that knocks on your door

 

The truth is every industry attracts people that may not be trustworthy. If a roofing company in Denver that has chosen to pay a fee to be on a vendors list for insurance company were to make the following statement, “Never trust a roofer that knocks on your door,” you might discern with very little effort that they may have an ulterior motive in making that statement. Their motive could be one of genuine concern, or not. In the image on the left, “Can you trust that guy knocking on your door?” I know this man and he happens to serve our nation in the Army reserve while knocking on doors and offering roofing services. We love the fact that we’re able to accommodate his Army schedule and provide a great working environment for Vince. Several of our team members have served or are serving our nation. Now that you know that not all of the roofers that knock on your door are bad guys lets explore some more information.

Some organizations are positioned and leveraged as such and regularly implement a fear based marketing strategy. That’s not classic enterprise working; that’s “Guido” being heavy handed for personal gain. I personally have no issue with younger companies getting their start by knocking on doors. Nor do I have an issue with a well-established company that knocks on doors. It is a bold judgmental statement for the Better Business Bureau, news stations and other roofers to create prejudice towards door knocking roofers. Some simply choose to meet potential clients face to face and not pay a percentage and an annual fee to be on an insurance company’s vendors list. This does not indicate a bad business practice. This assertion is really not logical when you think about it.

 

Even the company that you call because you’re neighbor used them may not work out well for you. Referrals are typically a great place to start, but I have had some less than desirable outcomes based on referrals. Pragmatism and cynicism are not the same. Practically speaking, if we interview people from a fear based mind set, whether they knock on our door or they are referred to us, we’ll probably miss the opportunity to work with a great company. I do agree that some people that knock on your door may not be trust worthy. Let wisdom and discernment, mixed with an adequate amount of research about the companies guide your decision making process, not fear. In our day and age, there is usually more than enough information readily available online to help us research the companies that are offering their services to us. Take time to find out who is knocking on your door, as well as those contractors you see or hear advertising, and the ones that the insurance company has offered to send to your home.

• Only hire a Denver roofer from the Colorado Roofing Association                                                                                     We do recommend that you consider a roofer from this organization. Of course, we are members of CRA ourselves, but to say only hire a member is not a fair statement. I’m sure that I’ve suggested this in the past and it may even be printed on some of our literature. We pay our dues and see the value of what this organization offers the local roofing industry as a whole, but it’s a slightly manipulative attempt to eliminate competition that hasn’t joined the CRA when you hear this statement.

 

The CRA has great intentions and truly does an outstanding job. We have several team members that have attended 6-weeks of training with the Colorado Roofing Association and appreciate what they’re doing to raise the bar in our industry. This is a great organization and roofers that participate in the CRA’s training program are set apart. When we make assertions like only or never hire a contractor based on this or any one factor, it is just not a balanced statement.

 

• Only hire a Better Business Bureau roofer in Denver                                 

  

  BBB Accredited Business

  We are Accredited Members of the BBB and align ourselves with their standard of business practices, but for someone to say only hire a member would be too strong of a direction for someone that’s looking for a roofer. I do highly recommend hiring BBB members, because the BBB enforces standards and gives an outlet for mediation between the consumer and provider. BBB members are companies that have sought out the extra level of accountability because they intend to incorporate ethical business practices.

 

These guys do a good job. However, the BBB is not a government agency; it’s a private organization that companies voluntarily join for an annual membership fee. Each local BBB office has it’s own culture and degree of interaction with the members. At this time I need to reiterate the need for a homeowner to pay their co-pay to the contractor. It is my opinion that the BBB doesn’t address this area of fraud strongly enough. They do launch campaigns for the public to warn them about scams and other dishonest roofing practices, which are helpful.

 

The BBB is a great place to start and will help the homeowner find a competent roofer. We work hard to keep out A+ Rating and will continue to be an Accredited Member, but we realize that just because a roofing company doesn’t have a membership with the BBB does not automatically make them dishonest or dangerous. Keep in mind that every company can be rated with the BBB, whether members or not, so it is a great place to check out any company you are considering hiring. They keep track of complaints against members and nonmembers alike. It’s a great tool for helping you choose your roofer, one more piece to the puzzle.                                          

 

 

• Only hire someone from Angie’s list                                          We like Angie’s list and they can be a good source to find a roofer. It’s like a built in referral system of prequalified contractors. In addition to Angie’s list be sure to check with friends, relatives and overall reviews for an organization before choosing a roofer. Angie’s List has a lot of paid advertising which may not be a commonly known fact. We do choose to advertise with Angie’s List and advertise our Super Service Award that we earn each year. We love our Angie’s Lists clients as they are easy to work with and have integrity. It is another good piece of the puzzle to choosing a your roofing contractor.